New Dietary Guidelines Drastically Cut Salt Intake
Baku, January 31 (AZERTAC). For the first time, the U.S. government is advising that more than half of the American population needs to drastically cut their daily salt intake. According to new dietary guidelines, those who are most at risk for high blood pressure; including those over the age of 51; African-Americans; those suffering from hypertension; diabetes or chronic kidney disease, which together make up half the U.S. population are being urged to consume only about a half a teaspoon of salt a day.
The assault on salt is aimed strongly at the food industry, which is responsible for the majority of sodium most people consume. Most salt intake doesn`t come from the shaker on the table; it`s hidden in foods such as breads, chicken and pasta. It has long been known that too much sodium increases the risk of high blood pressure, stroke and other problems. Several large food companies have already introduced initiatives to cut sodium and introduced low-sodium alternatives, but it`s unclear if the industry will be able to cut enough to satisfy the new guidelines. The Food and Drug Administration has said it will pressure companies to take voluntary action before it moves to regulate salt intake.
To reduce the risk of disease from high sodium intake, the guidelines say people should: read nutrition labels closely and buy items labeled low in sodium; use little or no salt when cooking or eating; consume more fresh or home-prepared foods and fewer processed foods, so they know exactly what they are eating; ask that salt not be added to foods at restaurants; gradually reduce sodium intake over time to get used to the taste.
Other recommendations in the guidelines are similar to previous years — limit trans-fats, reduce calorie intake from solid fats and added sugars, eat fewer refined grains and more whole grains, consume less than 300 mg per day of cholesterol. The guidelines also recommend eating less than 10 percent of calories from saturated fats — full-fat cheese and fatty meats, for example.
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